Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS NATUROPATHY?

Naturopathy is a unique and holistic healthcare system, with a rich history of traditional philosophies and a diverse range of treatment options. It is considered that the roots of modern Naturopathy are from The United States of America, and it is understood that the naturopathic principles themselves originated from Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Naturopaths — practitioners of naturopathy — seek to treat each patient individually and address the underlying cause/s of disease and illness and their symptoms. Lauretta Schembri, your naturopath at SNHC, will enquire in detail about your health concern/s and all aspects of your health, diet, and lifestyle. Diagnostic testing may be considered appropriate, and treatments may include nutritional medicine, herbal medicine, lifestyle recommendations, and mental health care.

Adapted from the NHAA "What is Naturopathy?" https://nhaa.org.au/news/naturopathy-herbalism/

WHY SHOULD I SEE A NATUROPATH?

To have a health professional who listens and sees you as a whole person, rather than simply treating your symptoms.
For professional guidance regarding your diet and nutritional supplements.
For a comprehensive approach to your health and well-being.
For natural health solutions
For improved quality of life and your optimal health.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT?

You should prepare for your first appointment with an open mind and an optimistic outlook. If you have any recent blood tests, scans, or other results, bring them with you. Bring, take note of, or photos with your phone of any medication and/or supplements that you are taking or have recently taken, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and supplements, antibiotics, and store-bought supplements. There is no expectation of you otherwise - come as you are - there is zero judgement or prejudice here. We welcome everyone.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FROM MY FIRST APPOINTMENT?

In the first consultation, a detailed case history and systems overview, including relevant family and medical history, as well as diet and lifestyle review, a physical assessment, and treatment plan formulation with diet, nutritional, and lifestyle advice. Please bring any copies of pathology results or medical reports, if you have them. NOTE: Clients under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the entire duration of the consult.

WHAT PAYMENT METHODS DO YOU ACCEPT?

In-clinic, bank transfer, tap and go (Square Reader), and cash are all accepted. For online appointments, bank transfer and Square Reader online payments are accepted. For Naturopathy, bulk billing and Medicare are currently not accepted.

DO YOU OFFER ONLINE CONSULTS?

Yes, online consults are offered via Zoom. A link or code to join will be sent to you prior to your appointment. Payment is to be made in full prior to the consultation and a remittance of the payment emailed to us.

DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS?

Pensioners and students saving: Save 10% off of your consult costs. Refer a friend and you both receive 10% off your first/next prescription.

I AM A CLIENT PREVIOUS TO THE 2023 PRICE INCREASE, WHAT CONSULTATION FEES WOULD I PAY?

If you have been, or you are a current client, the 2023 price increase for you will be as follows:

Your prescription price will remain the same (except for our liquid herbal medicines).
If you paid $50 for your follow-up, the price for 2023 is now $60.
If you paid $55 for your follow-up, the price for 2023 is now $70.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I CANCEL, MISS, OR AM LATE TO AN APPOINTMENT?

New clients will sign the Client Details and Consent Form, which includes understanding and agreeing to the cancellation policy.

Booking Deposit

From January 1 2022, Sydney Natural Health Clinic will be charging a $50.00 Booking Deposit for all clients at their discretion.

The $50.00 Booking Deposit is non-refundable. This means if you cancel or reschedule your appointment with more than 24 hours notice, we can allocate your Booking Deposit to another appointment date and time, however, we are unable to refund it.

In order to secure your appointment, we require a $50 deposit to be paid at the time of booking. This $50 is credited towards the cost of your appointment.

The deposit may be paid by credit card over the phone, or an electronic bank transfer with a receipt sent to us, and is held against your booking as a credit towards that appointment.

If a cancellation is made with more than 24 hours notice, the deposit is forwarded to the new appointment time.
If a cancellation is made with less than 24 hours notice, the deposit is forfeited as a late cancellation fee.
If you simply do not attend a booked appointment, the deposit is forfeited as a no-show fee. Depending on the circumstances, Sydney Natural Health Clinic reserves the right to charge up-front in-full for booking your future appointment.
Clients who provide less than 24 hours notice are welcome to send someone else in their place to have the booked service to avoid losing their deposit.

We will in-turn reduce your appointment cost by $50 if we need to reschedule your appointment with less than 24 hours notice (due to staff illness etc) – it’s only fair that we do for you what we ask you to do for us! If in the instance a staff member cannot see you face-to-face, an online consultation will be offered during the same time, or another appointment time can be organised.

Late Arrival

To provide a fair and timely service to all clients, we require that clients with a booking arrive promptly for their appointment. Arriving late may subtract treatment minutes and may cause inconvenience to the patients receiving care after you. We understand that being late is sometimes beyond your control. We will always do our best to accommodate late arrivals by performing the most complete treatment possible in the time that is remaining.

If your appointment time becomes inconvenient for you, we are always happy to reschedule it if you provide us with at least 24 hours’ notice. This allows us to schedule in another patient who may require a sooner appointment. Please be aware that if you are unable to attend your face-to-face appointment at the clinic (due to illness or other reasons), you are welcome to have an online Telehealth appointment during the same day and time.

Unfortunately, arriving too late to proceed with the appointment may result in a cancellation charge.

Our Policy on Cancellations and Broken Appointment

When you make an appointment at Sydney Natural Health Clinic, that time block is reserved exclusively for you. We never double book clients.

If you need to cancel your appointment:

We require a minimum of 24 hours’ notice.
Please call us on 0406446065 or email us at hello.snhc@gmail.com

Our administration will aim to provide a courtesy reminder call or SMS to you 24-48 hours prior to your appointment. Please consider that if you do not receive your reminder call, your appointment remains your responsibility to attend or reschedule at least 24 hours in advance.

We are proud to maintain affordable costs for our clients, and one way we do this is by maintaining a good client schedule. Missed or broken appointments represent a cost to us, and to other clients who may have been seen in the time reserved for you. This causes interference with our practice and creates unnecessary scheduling issues for other clients. Please advise us as soon as possible if you cannot attend an appointment.

We may consider another client to take your appointment schedule. Any missed appointments or cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice will result in a cancellation charge of $50.

If you miss or need to cancel your appointment within 24 hours due to illness or a family emergency, we will gladly reschedule your appointment and waive the cancellation fee. Please be aware that if you are unable to attend your face-to-face appointment at the clinic (due to illness or other reasons), you are welcome to have an online Telehealth appointment during the same day and time.

We may also reserve the right to charge the cost of the treatment upfront before making another appointment. This is only done if there are several cancellations. Please understand that we consider this a last resort, with the real motivating factor being our concern for the quality of service we are able to provide to you and to our other valued patients.

We thank you for your cooperation, respect, and understanding of our deposit and cancellation policy.

FAQ: FAQ